CV

Short Biography

Elma Riza is a French-Tunisian artist. She studied at the Beaux-Arts de Nantes (2005-2007), then continued her studies at the School of Fine Arts in Berlin to graduate with honors in 2012. She regularly presents her work at festivals and exhibitions.
She had two solo exhibitions, one in Tunis in 2018 at La Boîte _ Un lieu d’Art contemporain and one in Berlin in 2020 at Galerie Weisser Elefant. She obtained for her video “When a Line goes for a Walk” the female voice award, during the Berlin Minute Festival in September 2022. Recently she was awarded a grant by the Stiftung Kunstfonds (2022).
Her work takes shape in different media such as video, performance, photography, installation and drawing. Her research revolves around the concept of landscape, from ecological, anthropological and poetic perspectives. She questions our relationship with the urban, everyday or so-called “natural/wild” landscape. To this end, she addresses the issue of the boundary that defines our spaces and the relationship between elements, between interior and exterior spaces, between the familiar and the foreign, between the real and the imaginary.

Elma Riza

French-Tunisian visual artist, born in Lilas (Paris region) in 1986, settled in Berlin since 2007 and works between Berlin and Tunis.

Since 2023 Artist-member of fair share for women artists e.V.
Since 2022 she is part of the Sudden Starlings Collective
Since 2020 she is part of the collectiv Les actionnaires
Since 2020 Second studio in the Uckermark (Pian – Fürstenberg/Havel).
Since 2019 she has her studio in Kunstquartier Bethanien Berlin (Achtung Studio K43)
2019 -2020 Artist-member of the Frauen Museum Berlin
Since 2018 member of the BBK _ Berufsverband bildender Künstler*innen Berlin e.V.
Since 2018 she is artist member of La Boîte _ Un lieu d’art contemporain Tunis
Since 2015 she is artist member of the gallery asterisk * Berlin
2014-2019 she has set up an experimental platform for interdisciplinary instant composition, “Imprévu Berlin”.
2011-2014 she directed the KOLLEKTIVTRANSIT (Musiktheater & Tanztheater) with Benedikt Bindewald
2007-2010 she created and managed with Olja Koslova the artist group ORT-Berlin & anderswo

STUDIES

2012 Diploma with honors (equivalent to a master) from the Kunsthochschule higher education college in Berlin–KHB
2008 – 2012 Kunsthochschule higher education college in Berlin
2005 – 2007 Beaux-Arts higher education college in Nantes, France
2004 – 2005 Beaux-Arts education college in Rueil Malmaison – Ile de France

EXHIBITIONS / FESTIVALS

2024

Selection of the short film “Trois Femmes” at FIFOG, Geneva International Oriental Film Festival
Award Winner Best First Time Short “Trois Femmes” at Berlin Shorts Award
Award Winner “Trois Femmes” at the festival Bestlov Film
Video screening as part of the event “KREATIVITÄT DER LANGSAMKEIT” at GISELA – Freierkunstraum Lichtenberg

2023

Video screening GRUNDstück & INDESSEN with the Sudden Starlings Collective in frame of the festival Made in Potsdam 2023: Film & Choreografie I & II, Fabrik Potsdam
Film screening from the documentary Des Femmes Artistes en Tunisie│ ISAM Gabès & University of Gabès, Tunisia
Screening of the video “Aïn” at Video Art Miden screenings at Primarolia festival, Patras (GR)
Solo Exhibition “What’s remain” at STRouX Berlin
Screening of the documentary “Des femmes Artistes en Tunisie” at La Boîte _ Un Lieu d’Art Contemporain, Tunis
Screening of the video INDESSEN, a co-production with the Sudden Starlings Collective at the Symposium STATE OF THE ART, Eisenhüttenstadt
Selection of the short film “Trois Femmes” at the short film festival Golden Bridge, Istanbul
Screening of the short film “Trois Femmes” at the short film festival Cinémana Tunis
Collectiv exhibition KUNST & STADT, raum on demand, Alte Münze Berlin
Screening of the video “Aïn” at Attaquer le visible _ VIDEOAKTION#4, Raum für Drastische Maßnahmen, Berlin
Screening of the video “Aïn” at Video Art Miden Festival, Thessaloniki, Greece
Collectiv exhibition “Prix Jeunes Artistes”, TGM Gallery Tunis
Preview of the short film “Trois Femmes” in collaboration with Myriam Riza and Anaïs Production Tunis / L’Agora Marsa, Tunisia
Screening of the video “Aïn” at K-OFF / Festival Gabès Cinéma Fen 5ème édition, Tunisia
Screening of the video “Aïn” at SORORES- ECOFEMINIST FESTIVAL / Un lieu pour respirer, France
Photo group exhibition “Proceate Project Archive” / Ovada, Oxford, United Kingdom

2022

Group Exhibition “HAK Lab The nominees for the art award of the Haus am Kleistpark 2022 exhibit”, as part of the intervention galerie asterisk * by Christina Stark, Haus am Kleispark Berlin
Berlin Minute Festival at Lichtblick Kino Berlin
LAB with Les actionnaires in frame of Festival “Vakuum – gegen leeren Straßen”, Europacity Berlin
Group exhibition “Figur & Grund” / Video presentation at Kunstverein KunstHaus Potsdam
Group exhibition “Movement – Space and Boundaries” with Kuesti Fraun & Irina Novarese in the showcase of the Heinrich Böll Library. An exhibition curated by Vanessa Cardui / Kustraum Fuge part of the Art Spring Festival Berlin

LAB with Les actionnaires in frame of the exhibition “Sensing the city” at Zwitschermaschine Berlin

2021

„Von innen nach außen – Kunstfilme im Fenster“ / Kap.8 Münster

Performative installation “EXTENDED BLUE” with Mireia Argaones & Eric Wong at YOUKALI ganz.kultur Brandenburg
“Wandern – Bewegen – Vermessen – Verorten” an exhibition with the Frauen Museum Berlin at the Galerie Alte Brennerei – Kunstverein Ebersberg e.V
FRÜHJAHRPUTZMANIFEST, a duo exhibition with Laure Catugier at the ReTramp Gallery Berlin
PERFORMANCE ART FESTIVAL with Les actionnaires / Event organized by Gemelos2000 – Tempelhof Berlin
IMMER WENN ES DUNKEL WIRD, screening video with Les actionnaires at Gmünder Kunstverein, Schwäbisch Gmünd – Germany

2020

“How to make a bee-line”, duo exhibition & collaboration with Petra Gell / Galerie Philomena+ Wien
“Logique d’Espaces”, solo exhibition / galerie weisser elefant Berlin

2019

“Sculptures Filaires” site specific sculptures for the building of KILANI group Tunis
“Verschiebung der Räume”, duo exhibition with Aurélie Pertusot / Pavillon am Milchhof Berlin
“Tentatives à la Limite _ Yellow!” / BcmA Gallery Berlin / Performance Art Festival #4

2018

“Suivez la ligne” / Solo exhibition / La Boîte_un centre d’art contemporain Tunis
“Max Artists: 1 room 8 spaces” / Collective exhibition / Max Liebermann Haus Berlin
Überraschung #2! / Collective improvised exhibition / Kunstverein Neukölln
Les Recombinants / Foire internationale d´Art contemporain de Marseille
Species of Spaces – Golden Fragments / Collective exhibition / Luisa Catucci Gallery Berlin

2017

On a clear Day ? / Collective exhibition / Kunsthaus Essen
Lines_One day exhibition by Elma Riza / Kreuzberg Pavillon, Berlin
Draw to perform 3 – Symposium / Crows Nest Gallery, London
Perspectives – Raumenrkundung V, solo exhibition “site specific” / Kunstverein Neukölln, Berlin

2015-2016

Festival Improvisation Xchange / EDEN-Dock11, Berlin
Festival NAH DRAN /ada Studio Berlin
SPACE/TIME Festival / Flutgraben Berlin
Festival “Les Spectacles Sauvages” / Le Regard du Cygne, Paris
„60 minutes evening“, event organized by Impro Per Arts. / Mime Centrum, Berlin
“Between the Lines”, performance exhibition, gallery asterisk * Berlin

RESIDENCIES

2023 – STRouX Berlin, Germany
2023 – raum on demand, Alte Münze, Berlin, Germany
2022 – DiR Residency Brandenburg, Potsdam, Germany
2022 – Dar Hi Nefta, Tunisia
2020 – Philomena+ Wien, Austria
2017 – Kunsthaus Essen, Germany
2016 & 2017 – Nun Art Barcelona, Spain
2016 – TCRM-Blida Metz, France
2014 – Atelier REAL Lisboa, Portugal

FELLOWSHIP

2022 Sholarships NEUSTART KULTUR _ Stiftung Kunstfond
2020/21 Scholarships for professional and self-employed Berlin artists and curators _ special program working grant by Berlin Senate Department for Culture and Europe.
2016/18 MAX – ARTISTS IN RESIDENZ AN SCHULEN / Stiftung Brandenburger Tor

AWARD

Female voice award – Berlin Minute Festival, 2022

PUBLICATIONS

Logique d’Espaces, exhibition catalogue, galerie weisser elefant, 2020
REFLECTION, brochure exhibition, Milchhof Pavillon, 2020
From line to space_Elma Riza 2014-2019, Leaflet, self production, 2019
Max Artist in Residence, Project catalogue, Stiftung Brandenburger Tor Berlin, 2017/2018
De la ligne à l’espace_Elma Riza 2014-2018, leaflet, self production, 2018
Raumerkundung I-V, exhibition catalogue, Kunstverein Neukölln, 2017
On a clear Day?, exhibition catalogue, Kunsthaus Essen, 2017
Max Artist in Residence, project catalogue, Stiftung Brandenburger Tor Berlin, 2016/2017

VIDEOGRAPHY & FILMOGRAPHY

2023 ” Before the Skycrapers”, 2 min.26 (video) // direction, editing
“Trois Femmes”, 19 min. 43 (first short fiction film) produced by Anaïs Production Tunis // direction
2023 “Des Femmes Artistes en Tunisie”, 29 min. 43 (documentary) produced by LayLay_IMAGES // Camera, direction, editing
2022 “Aïn”, 10 min. 42 (video) // direction, editing
2022 “GRUNDstück” 13 min. 07 (video) // A collaboration with Eva Burghardt and Susanne Soldan
2021 “When a line goes for a walk”, 4 min. 30 (video) // Camera, direction, editing
2021 “FRÜHJAHRPUTZMANIFEST”, 11 min. 46 (video) // A collaboration with Laure Catugier
2020 “La Traversée” 6 min. (video) // Camera, direction, editing
2020 “How to make a bee-line”, 9min32 (video) // Camera, direction, editing
2020 “Golden Fragments”, 12min16 (video) // Director, Editor
2019 “Vue du ciel”, 9min35 (video installation) // Camera, direction, editing
2015 “Playground”, 15min.16 (video) // director, editor
2015 “Between The Lines #5”, 13min07 (video) // director, camera, editing
2014 “The Living Library”, 5min14 (video) / direction, camera, editing
2014 “L’île Saturne_La chute de Téphras”, Kollektivtransit Berlin, 53min35 (music dance advisor film – silent film with live music) // director, camera, editing
2012 “Two days before night”, 25min50 (experimental fiction, diploma project) // director, camera, editing
2012 “Grüne Stücke”, 9min10 (video) // director, camera, editing
2011 “Once Upon a Time in the Blue East”, 9min48 (video dance) // director, camera, editing
2010 “Des champs vides”, 2min.59 (video) // director, camera, editing
2009 “Présences”, 1min03 (experimental fiction) // director, camera, editing
2008 “Further than all similar places”, 5min37 (video) // Director, Camera, Editing
2010 “Couleurs d’une ville”, 3min21 (video) // director, camera, editing
2007 “Aniba_Acte V”, 3min51 (video) // director, camera, editing
2006 “Week-End”, 3min55 (video) // director, editor
2005 “L’Opéra des quat’fous”, 10min22 (video) // director, camera, editor

WORKSHOPS – LAB (selection)

Participatory Project “VER_ORTEN” with the Sudden Stralings collective in Tanzwerk Werder, 2024
Weekly workshops for FRÖBEL in Frankfurter (Oder), 2023/24
Workshop “TAPE ART” at the Carl Borsch Schule Frohnau, 2023
Workshop “Framing the city”, dance and video, with Eva Burghardt & Susanne Soldan, 2023
Workshops for children “Labyrinth & Imaginäre Räume” & “Vom Blatt Papier zur Raum_Imaginäre Landschaft” / Young Arts Neukölln, 2020
Workshop “Composer dans l’espace” with the employees of the company TERIAK Laboratories Tunisia, 2019
Workshop “Initiation to abstraction, composition & Improvisation” with the students of the International Scholl of Düsseldorf, 2019
Art workshops for primary schools / Young Arts Neukölln, 2019
2019-2020 Bauhaus RaumLabor / Jugend im Museum e.V. (Workshops in Kitas / Co-project Leitung), 2019
Experiment Raum für Kinder & Eltern / every month in Kunstquartier Bethanien, 2019
Workshop “Dessiner dans l’espace” with the employees of the company KILANI Group Tunis, 2018
Atelier Lab – “When Visuel Art meet Instant Composition”/ Elma Riza’s Atelier & Kunstquartier Bethanien, 2017-2020
Workshop “Performativ Prozess – Space/Object and Body” with the students of the Duisburg-Essen University in Kunsthaus Essen, 2017
ZOOM LABOR with Elma Riza – “Performance-Installation” workshops Serie / Mime Centrum Berlin, 2015-17

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